Metal tank



March- 24, 1953 C O 2,632,577

METAL TANK Filed Oct. 11, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet l .Inveivfm". James Saccoby M v (Z-Zforwey.

J. sAcco METAL TANK March 24, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 11, 1948Ifz' .12

James Sacco dZ-Zarmey.

March 24, 1953 J. sAcco I 2,632,577

7 METAL TANK Filed Oct. 11, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet s 1970677102". James622000,

by M

a 'z'zorney.

Patented Mar. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to containers. From a more specificaspect, the invention relates to fluid-storage-and-transportingcontainers, such as metal oil tanks that are commonly mounted upontrucks.

According to present-day methods of manufacture, tanks of theabove-described character are constructed by curving a continuous sheetof metal into cylindrical form of oval cross-section, and then weldingthe ends of the sheet to correspondingly oval-shaped vertically disposedhorizontally alined end walls, the major axes of which are disposedhorizontally. In order to permit of access to the man-hole domesdisposed at the top of the tank between longitudinally disposed upwardprojecting flashings, longitudinally disposed platform treads or walksare provided, on along each side of the tank, projecting horizontallyoutward substantially in or slightly below the plane of the major axes.The flashings and the platforms are secured to the cylindrical wall ofthe tank by welding operations that raise unsightly lumps at theexterior junctions between the cylindrical wall, on the one hand, andthe flashings and the platforms, on the other. It then becomes necessaryto eliminate these unsightly lumps by grinding and this grinding istedious and expensive.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved tankor other fluidstorage container.

Other and further objectswill be explained more fully hereinafter, andwill be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

e The invention will now be more fully explained in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective of an oil tankembodying the present invention, looking from the rear of the tank; Fig.2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 4,looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a perspective of theman-hole structure shown in the tank of Fig 1; Fig. 4 is a perspectivesimilar to Fig. l, with parts broken away, showing the tank partlycompleted; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective of a metal plate forassembly with the partly completed tank shown in Fig. 4 to provide alower wall for the rear compartment of the tank; Figs. 6, '7 and 8 areperspectives of properly shaped metal sheets for similar assembly withthe partly completed tank shown in Fig. 4 toprovide rear and front lowerdepending flanges and an upper tank wall, respectively; Fig. 9 is afragmentary elevation, upon a larger scale, of a modified drain for thetank; Fig. 10 is a vertical section taken upon the line Illof Fig. 9,looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 11 is a fragmentaryelevation similar to Fig. 9 of a further modification; Fig. 12 is avertical section taken upon the line I2--I Z of Fig. 11, looking in thedirection of the arrows; Fig. 13 is a 'vertical transverse section takenupon the line I3I3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows,but upon a larger scale; Fig. 14 is a perspective similar to Fig. 8 of amodification; Figs. 15 and 16 are similar perspective of parts forattachment to the rear and the front, respectively, of the part shown inFig. 14; Fig. 17 is a similar perspective of a depending-flangemodification for attachment to the part shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 18 is anelevation of a truck, with the tank of the present invention mountedthereon; Fig. 19 is a fragmentary elevation of the same, upon a largerscale, partly in longitudinal section; and Figures 20 and 21 areperspectives of details of parts of the housing at the rear of the tank.

Metal tanks of the type illustrated herein are of oval shape, with themajor axis of theoval horizontally disposed, The front and the rearsheet-metal end walls I6 and I8 are therefore shown of this oval shape,with their bottoms and tops and their adjacently disposed regions eachincreasing in width from its top and its bottom toward the center.Additional intermediately disposed similarly shaped sheet-metal wallsmay also be provided if it is desired to divide the tank into separatecompartments for containing different oil fuels. One such additionalwall is shown at I1, thus dividing the tank into two compartments, afront compartment between the walls I6 and I1, and a rear compartmentbetween the walls I! and I8.

An upper sheet-metal side wall I, curved to conform to the upper portionof the oval-shaped walls I6, I1 and I8, may be secured to these walls atone side thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 13, by welding to the upperportions of bent-over flange margins I9, 20 and 2 I, respectively, ofthe walls I6, I1 and. I8. A similar upper sheet-metal side wall 5 maysimilarly be secured to these walls I6, I! and I8 at the other sidethereof, as shown in Figures 1, 4 and 13. The front edge 34 of the wallI is welded to the flange I9, its rear edge 33 to the flange 2|, and anintermediately disposed portion of the wall 34 to the flange 20.

The wall 5 is similarly secured. The lower portion of the wall Iterminates in a horizontally disposed ledge 3I, and the lower portion ofthe Wall 5 in a similar ledge 50. As shown clearly in Fig. 13, theledges BI and extend outwardly 3 in a common horizontal plane, justbelow the major axis of the oval-shaped walls I6, I! and I 8.

The upper portion of the wall I terminates in a vertically upstandingwall 29, and the upper portion of the wall 5 in a similar wall 39parallel to the wall 29. The walls 29 and 39 are longitudinallydisposed, one on each side of two manholes 4, one for each compartmentof the tank.

The upper walls I and 5 of the tank, therefore, form coverings for themajor portion of the upper part of the tank. Their lower portions, asalready explained, terminate just below the horizontal major axes of theovals, and a longitudinally disposed gap is formed between their upperportions.

In order to cover the remaining portion of the upper part of the tank,this gap is filled by a man-hole structure comprising a sheet-metaltop-wall plate 2 provided with the man-hole openings 4 and curved toconform to the upper portions of the oval-shaped walls I6,II and I8.This plate 2 is welded to the upper portions of the walls I6, I! and I8.Along its longitudinal edges 35 and 36, as shown at 8i and 82, it iswelded also to the upper walls 5 and I, respectively, at their junctionswith their respective The man-holes 4 are constituted of metal cylinderswelded at 83 in corresponding openings of the plate 2. They may beclosed by means of suitable man-hole domes, not shown.

The lower covering of the tank is constituted of a suitably curvedsheet-metal bottom wall I welded to the lower portions of the flanges I9, and 2| of the walls I6, I1 and I8. The front margin of the lower wallI5, for example, is shown welded at I2 to the inner edge of the lowerportion of the flange I9. The front edge of the lower wall I5 issimilarly shown welded at 13 to the peripheral edge of the wall IS. Theupper side edges of the wall I5 are interiorly welded at I9 and 80,respectively, to the upper walls 5 and I, the former at its junctionwith its horizontally disposed ledge 50, and the latter at its junctionwith its horizontally disposed ledge 3I. A further line of exterior weldI1 is provided between one of the upper side edges of the wall I5 andthe underside of the ledge 50, at its junction with the lower side edgeof the upper wall 5, and a further similar line of exterior weld I8 isprovided between the other upper side edge of the wall I5 and theunderside of the ledge 3i, at its junction with the lower side edge ofthe upper wall I.

Sills 26 and 21 for supporting the tank on a truck 81 are welded at I4at the lower exterior surface of the wall I5. The tank may be secured tothe truck by means of bolts I02 passing through bed supports IIII of thetank and cooperating with nuts I04 and washers I93.

The ledge 3I is provided with a terminal depending lip 32, and the ledge59 with a similar lip 5I. A lip 38 at the free end of a ledge 37 of afront depending flange or skirt I2 is welded at 85 to the front portionof the lip 32, with the ledge 3'! in the same horizontal plane as theledge 3|. A similar alined lip at the free end of a ledge 40 of a reardepending flange or skirt I3 is similarly welded at 85 to the rearportion of the lip 32, with the ledge 40 in the same horizontal plane asthe ledge 3|. A horizontal longitudinally disposed platform tread orwalk II is then welded at 86 to the exterior of the wall I at itsjunction with the ledge 3| and to terminally upstanding alined lips 9Iat the upper ends of the depending flanges I2 and I3, at their junctionswith the respective ledges 31 and 40. The rear edge 43 of the frontdepending flange I2 is welded to the front edge 44 of the rear dependingflange I3.

Another horizontally disposed platform tread or walk II is similarlyprovided along the other side of the tank. Two depending front and rearflanges or skirts are also provided, identical in construction with thefront and rear flanges or skirts I2 and I3, except that they are themirror images thereof. The rear depending flange or skirt 52 only isillustrated, provided with the ledge 53 and the upper lip I4, welded at84 to the lip 5|. The said other tread II is shown welded at 96 to theexterior junction between the upper wall 5 and the ledge 50, and also tothe lip I4.

If desired, the depending flanges I2 and I3 may be replaced by a singledepending flange 68, having a ledge 69 and a lip III to correspond tothe ledges 31 and 40 and the lip 38. The depending flanges I2 and I3 areprovided with an inwardly extending lip 39, the depending flange 52 witha similar lip 55, and the depending flange 68 with a similar lip II.

The front portions of the front depending flange I2 and itsnon-illustrated counterpart are curved forward, as shown at 4I. The rearportions of the rear depending flanges I3 and 52 are similarly curvedrearward, as shown at 42. A rear wall 5 is welded along curved edges 92to the rear edges 33 of the walls I and 5. Bent-in flanges 93 of therear wall 5 are welded at corresponding bent-in flanges 94 of theportion 42. The upper portion of the rear wall 6 is provided with anupwardly curved tongue 99, the forward edge of which is welded to therear edge 89 of the plate 2, and to a metal plate I95, Fig. 19. A bumperIt is welded along edges 98 to edges 91 of the rear wall 6. Edges 99 ofthe bumper III are welded to edges 98 of the rear Wall 6 and to thecurved portions 42. A housing is thus provided at the rear of the tank,the floor of which is constituted of a plate 28, shown supported at I05,to provide a bottom wall for the housing. The portions 22 constituteintegral rearward extending end walls of the flanges I3 and 52 toconstitute end walls of the housing. Access to the interior of thehousing may be had by raising a door I about hinges 8 by means of ahandle 9. When closed, the door I engages a flange of the bumper I 0.

The curved plate I5 is shown integrally provided with two troughs 22 and24, the former of which extends inward from the rear end through therear compartment, between the walls I! and it, into the frontcompartment, between the walls I6 and I1, and the latter of whichextends similarly into the rear compartment. A plate 23 is welded to theinner face of the curved plate I5, as at 15 and 75, over the trough 22,so as to prevent the contents of the rear compartment from entering thetrough 22. Ihe trough 22, therefore, provides communication between thefront compartment only and the outside atmosphere, and the trough 2 withthe rear compartment only. If more than two compartments should beprovided through the addition of further inter? "mediately disposedwalls. ll, similar plates 23 would be similarly welded over theportionsof the corresponding troughs that would extend through each compartmentexcept. the compartment or compartments into which the inner end ofthecorresponding trough terminates.

Fluid may be dispensed from the respective compartments by makingsuitable hose connections to the troughs 22 and 24 through drainconnections 25, shown as externally threaded nipples. The oil isdelivered from the drain connections.- 25. through a manifold and valves(not shown). i

According to the modification illustrated in Fig. 14., the upper curvedwall. 56 is identical with theupper curved wall I, the upstandingvertical wall 60 corresponding to the upstanding vertical wall 29 andthe rear edge 6| to the rear edge 33. The ledge 3|, however, is replacedby a platform tread or wall 51 of twice its width, and it is madeintegral with the depending flange or skirt 58 and the lip 59, whichtakes the place of the two depending flanges l2 and I3 and the lip 39:.The front edge 63 of the depending flange is welded to the rear edge 61of a separate front curved wall 66, and its rear edge $2 is welded tothe front edge 65 of a separate rear curved wall 64.

The curved walls 66 and 64 may be employed also with the dependingflanges I2 and I3 and also with themodification of Fig. 1'7, accordingto which the depending flanges l2 and I3 are replace-d by a singleflange or skirt 68 having a front edge 63, a rear edge 62, and aplatform tread or walk 69.

Further modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art, and allsuch are considered to fal1 within the spirit and scope of theinvention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A metal container having end walls and bottom, top and side wallswelded along their ends to the end walls, the side walls being eachintegrally joined at its bottom to an outward projecting platform and atits top to an upward projecting flashing, the side walls being welded attheir junctions with the platforms to the sides of the bottom wall alongthe inner faces of the side walls and the bottom wall and along theouter faces of the bottom wall and the under faces of the platforms, andthe side walls being welded at their junctions with the flashings to thesides of the top walls along the upper faces of the top walls and theinner faces of the flashings.

2. A metal container having end walls and one or more intermediatelydisposed walls each increasing in width from its top and its bottomtoward its center, bottom and top walls welded along their ends andintermediately to thebottoms and to the tops and adjacently disposedregions of the end walls and the intermediately disposed wall or walls,and side walls welded along their ends and intermediately to the endwalls and the intermediately disposed wall or walls between the bottomand the top walls and each integrally joined at its bottom to an outwardprojecting platform and at its top to an upward projecting flashing, theside walls being welded at their junctions with the platforms to thesides of the bottom walls and at their junctions with the flashings tothe sides of the top walls. j

3. A metal container having oval-shaped end walls, with the larger axesof the ovals horizontally disposed, bottom and top walls welded alongtheir ends respectively to the bottom halves and to the tops andadjacently disposed regions of the end walls, and side walls weldedalong their ends to the end wallsv between the bottom and the top wallsand each integrally joined at its bottom to an outward projectingplatform, and at its top to an upward projecting flashing, the sidewalls being welded at their junctions with the platforms to the sides ofthe bottom Walls and at their junctions with the flashings to the sidesof the top walls.

4. A metal container having end walls, one

or more intermediately disposed walls that pro.-

vide compartments between adjacently disposed end walls and theintermediately disposed wall or walls, a bottom wall provided with aplurality of troughs extending inward from one of the end walls into therespective compartments, 9. top wall and side walls, the bottom, top andside walls being welded along their ends and intermediately to the endwalls and the intermediately disposed wall or walls, the side wallsbeing each'integrally joined at its bottom to an outward projectingplatform and at its top to an upward projecting flashing, the side wallsbeing welded at their junctions with the platform to the sides of thebottom wall-s and at their junctions with the flashings to the sides ofthe top walls, and a plate or plates welded over the portions of thetrough or troughs that extend through each compartment except thecompartment or compartment-s into which the inner end of thecorresponding trough terminates, the troughs providing communicationbetween the respective compartments and the outside atmosphere.

5. A metal tank having end walls each increasing in width from its topand its bottom toward its center, bottom and top walls welded alongtheir ends to the bottoms and to the tops and adjacently disposedregions of the end walls, and side walls welded along their ends to theend walls between the bottom and the top walls and each integrallyjoined at its bottom to an outward projecting platform and at its top toan upward projecting flashing, the side walls being welded at theirjunctions with the platforms to the sides of the bottom walls, and afurther platform welded to each platform in the plane thereof andprovided with a depending apron.

6. A metal tank having end walls and bottom and top walls welded alongtheir ends to the bottoms and to the tops and adjacently disposedregions of the end walls, two side walls welded along their ends to theend walls between the bottom and the top walls and each integrallyjoined to an outward horizontally projecting ledge, the side walls beingwelded at their junctions with the ledges to the sides of the bottomwall along the inner faces of the side walls and the bottom wall andalong the outer faces of the bottom wall and the under faces of theledges, and horizontal longitudinally disposed platform treads welded tothe respective side walls at their junctions with the ledges.

7. A metal tank having end walls each increasing in width from its topand its bottom toward its center, bottom and top walls welded alongtheir ends to the bottoms and to the tops and adjacently disposedregions of the end walls, two side walls welded along their ends to theend walls between the bottom and the top walls and each integrallyjoined at its bottom to an outward horizontally projecting ledge, theside walls being welded at their junctions with the ledges to the sidesof thebottom wall along the inner faces of the side walls and the bottomwall and along the outer faces of the bottom wall and the under faces ofthe ledges, and horizontal longitudinally disposed platform treadswelded to the respective side walls at their junctions with the ledges.

8. A metal tank having substantially ovalshaped end walls, with thelarger axes of the ovals horizontally disposed, bottom and top wallswelded along their ends to the bottom halves and to the tops andadjacently disposed regions of the end walls, two side walls Weldedalong their ends to the end walls between the bottom and the top wallsand each integrally joined at its bottom to an outward horizontallyprojecting ledge having a terminal depending lip, the ledges beingdisposed in a common horizontal plane just below the major axis of theovalshaped end walls, the side walls being welded at their junctionswith the ledges to the sides of the bottom wall, and two dependingskirts each having a ledge with a depending lip at its free end and aterminally upstanding lip at its upper end at its junction with itsledge, the skirt ledges being disposed in the said horizontal plane withtheir lips welded to the lips of the respective side-wall ledges, andhorizontal longitudinally disposed platform treads welded to therespective side walls at their junctions with their ledges and to theupstanding lips.

JAMES SACCO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,049,132 Moxey July 28, 19362,086,134 Ludwick July 6, 1937 2,097,113 Bradley Oct, 26, 1937 2,199,737Bernstein May 7, 1940 2,223,571 Meyer Dec. 3, 1940 2,229,793 BradleyJan. 28, 1941 2,340,628 Theriault Feb. 1, 1944

